El diablo a todas horas

Quizás una maraña demasiado improbable de destinos jodidos, acompañada de una voz en off innecesariamente frecuente y literal. Ya hay varias conexiones importantes entre los destinos de la historia que se pueden adivinar, y la constante voz en off que lo explica todo priva al espectador de sus propias reflexiones. Las explicaciones literales de sentimientos de los personajes tienen cabida en un libro en el que no vemos las caras de los actores. Esto es además innecesario. Pero si aceptas esta narrativa demasiado cómoda y monótona, te espera un sólido drama con mucho sufrimiento, los feos frutos del fanatismo religioso, un uso ligeramente cínico de la relajada música de época (que evoca a los hermanos Coen) y excelentes actores. Especialmente Jason Clarke y Pattinson sobresalen aquí en el apoyo, atípico para ellos, de creaciones negativas. El personaje principal de Tom Holland, irónicamente, me pareció distante en la expresión, lo que no le achacaría a él como actor, sino al director. Tres estrellas y media. (18.09.2020)

Netflix hit the jackpot this time around, and after Extraction and The Platform, The Devil All the Time is the third best Netflix venture of the year. The Devil All the Time is a solid Southern Gothic period thriller set in Midwestern America, in a small town full of violence and corruption. The film is told in multiple storylines, with some of them being flashbacks, but they don't distract and it's presented very clearly, and I enjoyed the engaging narrator. The cast is perhaps the most interesting that has come out of a film this year, and the interesting thing is not so much the sound names as the choice of characters – Spider-Man, Batman, Pennywise and Winter Soldier, of course in order of who gave the best performance. There isn't a properly positive character in the film, they all commit evil and horrific acts and are usually punished accordingly. Though the film moves at a slower pace, the director doses it with intense scenes that grab the attention (the scene in the church and in the car are the highlights), and the final forty minutes are literally a showdown and very satisfying. A good film with raw atmosphere, great actors and a solid story. Story****, Action***, Humor>No, Violence***, Entertainment***, Music***, Visuals****, Atmosphere****, Suspense****. 8/10. (17.09.2020)

Antonio Campos made a western-flavored, Deep South “fuck-up" thriller about the bad things that happen to bad people... and to Tom Holland. McCarthy’s poetic style is slightly undermined by the cynical narrator, who makes astute comments on the outcome of some of the situations, adding details necessary for understanding the humorous charm of the portrait as a whole. Pattinson really savors his role as an ingratiating, oversexed preacher and Jason Clarke was surprising as a porn photographer, but Holland was unusually less prominent, even though he has to deal with the biggest shitstorms and his moral dilemmas are probably the most convincing. Certainly one of the surprises of the year. Spider-Man vs. The Winter Soldier 2:0. (19.09.2020)

I don’t know why Americans always have the need to show everyone that Middle West sucks, that its people are stupid, their language unintelligible and moreover that in every village you can meet some kind of religious psychopath who is deprived in some way. To be a cop there must be some kind of punishment and you have to be really stupid to be able to live therewithout losing your marbles. Despite that, The Devil All the Time showing you the devil inside the local people has a good premise with quite a good atmosphere and overall it is quite an interesting movie. If only it wasn’t so long and forceful. From time to time I had a feeling that I’m about to faint regardless the atmosphere. The best part about this movie are the performances of the actors. They really had some fun with that gibberish. (29.09.2020)

A compelling story from the Midwest full of murderers, perverts, paedophiles and other scum, with normal and sane people popping in here and there. An intense, but slowly flowing tension that benefits mainly from first-class performances (Skarsgård, Pattinson), an impressive and unpredictable script and the fearlessness of the filmmakers to surprise the viewer at times, even shock a bit here and there. Without unnecessary exhibitions like Tarantino, but similarly cleverly structured, and engaging for both the ambitious viewer and the layman. (15.10.2020)